1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to automobile antennas adapted to be mounted on the roof of an automobile and used, for example, for receiving television signals.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Different types of automobile antennas are known and generally they have the basic construction which includes an antenna body to which the antenna elements are attached and an antenna base which supports the antenna body. The antenna body is mounted with suction cups or magnets to the roof of the vehicle and the antenna body is detachably connected to the antenna base.
Under certain conditions, the projection of an antenna from the top of an automobile causes trouble as, for example, when the automobile is washed with an automatic car washing machine or when the automobile enters a garage having a low ceiling or door or when the automobile is to be covered with a suitable body cover as, for example, of plastic or fabric.
Conventional car antennas cannot be received within the antenna body and therefore the total height of the antenna is large. Thus, the antenna and antenna body comprise a substantial projection above the roof of the automobile. When the automobile is washed by an automatic washing machine or when the automobile enters a garage with low ceiling or a low garage door opening or when covered with a plastic or fabric covering it becomes necessary to remove the antenna structure from the top of the car which is inconvenient and time consuming.